


i'm gonna fly this flag that i've got in my hand

by queencerseitargaryen



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, Pride Parade, This is what it says on the tin, the entire plot is in the summary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-17
Updated: 2016-07-17
Packaged: 2018-07-24 11:27:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7506484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queencerseitargaryen/pseuds/queencerseitargaryen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John goes to New York Pride for the first time and a handsome young man rescues his rainbow flag for him.</p>
<hr/>
<p>this is just fluff i wanted to write because of a picture i saw on tumblr and the fact i went to my city's pride event today</p>
            </blockquote>





	i'm gonna fly this flag that i've got in my hand

**Author's Note:**

> this has no plot, this is just fluff set at new york pride because i went to my city's pride event today and my flag almost flew away from me too.

John walked away from the colorful stall grinning, yes his wallet was ten dollars lighter when he know he could have paid three dollars for the exact item online. _But then his father would know what he just bought, what was seven dollars to him anyway?_ Could could see the purple and blue through the clear bag, the rest of the colours folded behind it. John didn't realize that one stupid piece of fabric could make him feel so much more valid, so much more satisfied. 

John was trying not to appear too eager, he had managed to walk away from the stall before he finally ripped the plastic from the nylon fabric. It was the type of plastic that was thin and pliable, typical packing fabric and it made a loud crinkle as John teared it away. Throwing it to the trash can next to him, from looking at the floor John knew people hadn't been as considerate as him. Once he had done that he grabbed the two ends of the flag and in one sharp movement he whipped it out in front of him, the wind grabbed at the surface of it and it flew out, the full rainbow visible. John couldn't quite believe that he was _here_ \- in New York. At Pride of all things, about to wrap a rainbow flag around his shoulders and scream his lungs out in the parade along Times Square. 

He shouldn't be proud of himself for something people like him would do so willingly, but there was nothing like this in South Carolina. Well if there had been, John had been sheltered from it, which wouldn't surprise him.

John was now battling with the wind to wrap the flag around his shoulders, to proudly show the world who he was. Not that being gay was all there was to John, but he was becoming more and more proud of that fact. Fighting away the memory of the people who told him it was a phase, that he'd never be happy, that he'd find the right _woman_. There wasn't going to be the right woman for John, but maybe the right man could be walking down the streets with him. Waving flags, shouting for freedom from pain and torture of just being alive. 

He had quickly learnt it was more than a parade for the LGBT community, there were #BlackLivesMatters placards and signs and people chanting. A guy with a megaphone talking about immigration, hatred and protesting, while John agreed with every point the man said. Who with his speech was animatedly waving a Puerto Rican flag, (John would have been proud enough to wave that today, but the one he was hanging from his shoulders made him much happier) this was the fourth time he had heard the speech. John walked, no almost skipped away from the man. He had no reason to be lingering around the stall anymore, hearing the man ramble on and garnering stares because he had been there a half hour and still hadn't bought anything. 

Finally the man was out of earshot and John had somehow joined the parade, ducking under banners and taking everything. There were flags that not even John recognised and huge groups of intimidating people all cheering one rhyme or another about how 'Love doesn't discriminate' or just simply 'Down with homophobia'. John joined in with whatever cheer was happening as he passed. He was going a little faster than the other people, he wanted to take in as much of it as possible, it wasn't like he had any friends to keep pace with anyway.

It was just fascinating to him how no one cared that he was gay. In fact he had seen two guys kissing just before, they had looked so joyful. John could see the smile playing on their lips as they had parted, their happiness infectious because John took a deep inhale as if he had been the one kissing. 

John had finally found pace in the march, just walking with the rest when a breeze hit his back. That's when he realised that his newly bought flag was flying away from him in the wind because he hadn't tucked it into his backpack straps hard enough. In a split second he began running after it, he'd be damned if he let ten dollar of pride float away from him. 

But John must have blinked, because all of a sudden his flag wasn't floating anymore. It had seemingly disappeared from the skyline. John wouldn't say he felt defeated, but he quickly went and sat on the nearest curb, cursing the tears the threatened to spill. While it was just fabric to most, it had been a promise to John - to stop hating what he was, to embrace it because it wasn't going to change. John had felt the promise slip away, almost resigning him to a life of pretending.  
John was kicking at the stones until someone sat next to him, "I'm assuming by the look on your face, this belongs to you." John didn't look up to see the face of the boy with the animated, soothing voice. However he did see the rainbow clutched into the slighted tanned hands of this stranger, while John wouldn't say he snatched it from the other man. He was just happy to see it again. 

"Thanks, I was a bit upset it floated away." John said, going to fold it up and put in his backpack so he didn't lose it again. The tanned hands stopped his and John looked up. Right then he didn't know if it was the biggest mistake of his life or the best thing he's ever done because this guy was beautiful. Smooth tan skin, the darkest brown eyes - well at least John assumed they were brown he couldn't get close enough to tell if they were indeed just black like the boy's smooth hair. Nothing like his frizzy hair, this man was pulled back into a slick ponytail with no flyaways or stick-ups. 

"Don't put it away, here," He said again, taking the flag and standing up, "I'll tie it around you properly, like mine!" John took a moment to look at the flag artfully straddling his shoulders, and the noticed that he was short enough for it to almost be hitting the ground. It wasn't rainbow like his own though, it was pink, purple and blue. Bisexual pride, and John smiled, because this guy must be brave considering the amount of biphobia in the world. 

John followed his lead and stood up, facing the man and looking down an inch or two to meet his eyes. He had his tongue stuck out in concentration as he tried to smooth it down over John's backpack. "I'm Alexander Hamilton, your friendly college bi. You are?" He slipped in, and John wouldn't admit he nearly forgot his own name as Alexander's hand ghosted around the back of his neck to smooth the seam of the flag. 

"John Laurens, your friendly 'the neighbourhood doesn't know' gay." John stared intently as Alexander tied some sort of next level knot around the front of his throat, in line with his collarbones. 

"Well John, that is not falling off until you want it off and I think you should now spend the day with me seeing as my friends have probably took the opportunity of my departure to make out on a bench and I'm the only one that can undo that awful knot." Alexander's voice came out smooth and well-practiced, John not realising the small tone of flirt in it, more enjoying the way his name rolled from Alexander's tongue.

"I would be glad too Alexander, you look like good company." John grinned for the second time that day because of that flag, taking a leap in the dark and entwining his freckled fingers, with Alexander's. John told himself it was so he didn't lose his newfound friend in the crowd, the heat of their bound hands was just bonus. 

They spent their entire day together, John forcing Alex (as he had learnt the boy prefered) to let him buy ice cream for the both of them. They had walked hand in hand, their flags waving like capes in the wind. Especially since John had left his backpack with Alex’s friends Lafayette and Hercules, pretending not to notice the winks they gave Alexander as he introduced John to them. They had gone on all the fairground rides, had their photo taken by numerous photographers, one even mistaking them for a couple which had gotten him a kiss to the cheek for show. Slightly praying the blush that had crept up on him wasn’t as bold as it felt. 

Then the day had ended, somehow, with the boys sat crossed legged on the grass. John’s head fitting perfectly into Alex’s shoulder, and Alex’s arm slipping under the flag that John still wore to hug his waist and pull him closer. Even though John should be shying away from this because Alexander is still essentially a stranger, they had already exchanged phone numbers, and John knew he wasn’t going to let this be the last time he saw this mysterious and handsome and incredibly smart man. John had learned so much in a few hours, he only imagined what he could learn with so much more time. 

So when John closed his eyes as the fireworks were dying down, the artificial rainbows no longer staining the sky. He let himself doze a little bit, because Alex’s grasp was comforting and warm and something he wanted to keep. 

John certainly wasn’t internally screaming ‘thank you’ to this stupid flag for flying away from him when Alexander dropped a sweet, second-long kiss to his forehead with the words ‘Happy first pride John, God I hope there’s more to come with you’. John pretended he was asleep for a bit longer, just long enough so Alexander wouldn’t realize he had been awake to hear that and instantly regret it.

* * *

There had been many more to come, every year Alexander would find the flag seemingly out of nowhere and tie it around John with the same knot that had bound them the first time. Alex would never admit that the flag went missing in between prides because it smelt like John and he would curl it to his chest and bury his nose into when John wasn’t there. Well he didn’t admit it until John walked into a sleeping Alexander curled around _his_ flag, but it was okay because by then the flag was much too faded and worn to wear to pride anymore and John didn’t need it to remind him of all the times Alexander had done something for him because he had a ring instead.

**Author's Note:**

> leave a comment
> 
> come shout at me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/sophizoey) and [tumblr](http://hxdalexa.tumblr.com)


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